


Please Break My Fall

by omia65



Series: I work with them now [6]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Blood and Injury, Hurt/Comfort, Multi, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-04
Updated: 2015-05-04
Packaged: 2018-03-28 22:55:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,037
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3872833
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omia65/pseuds/omia65
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eliot's POV for When the Best Fall Down</p><p>Eliot loves his mates, but his alpha instinct makes it hard for him to accept that he's the one being protected, instead of the other way around.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Please Break My Fall

            It’s the gunshot – the second one – that brings Eliot back to reality.  He’s been in a haze, fighting for his life and vaguely aware that he’s losing.  When he hears the shot his first thought is his own body, but he doesn’t register any new pain.  He slowly becomes aware that the man he’s been fighting is now crumpled on the ground.  His mind is slow to catch up with what happened.  It doesn’t, not really, only that he’s no longer being attacked with a knife. 

Before he really knows what happened, Hardison is grabbing onto him.  Somehow he ends up in the van.  Parker’s there.  He’s not sure when she got there.  He looks at her face and realizes she’s in pain.  He’s confused.  He didn’t feel her getting hurt through the bond.  It’s not until the van hits a pothole and Eliot’s dislocated shoulder gets jostled and he sees the pain flash across Parker’s face just as clear as he can feel it himself that he realizes his omegas are feeling his pain through their bond.  He tries to stop the pain from bleeding through the bond but he can’t.  The fog in his brain clears just enough for him to feel crushing guilt. 

Eliot doesn’t remember much of the car ride.  He knows Parker’s stopping bullet wound from bleeding.  He hears Hardison talking, but he can’t make out what the other man is saying.  It’d be upsetting if he was more with it, but as it is he’s barely hanging on to consciousness.  He didn’t realize how badly his body hurt until Parker started cleaning up the blood.  She’s working on his face now, talking to him.  He tries to listen to her, but it’s like she’s speaking a different language, one he hasn’t heard in years.  Some part of his brain tells him she’s trying to keep him awake, and he tries his hardest not to let his omega down. 

Somehow they get home.  Eliot feels better seeing familiar surroundings.  He’s safe here.  Hardison’s security system isn’t going to let anyone in.  His mates aren’t going to get attacked while he’s too weak to protect them.  He thinks about his bed, tries to head in that direction, but Hardison and Parker steer him into the bathroom instead and Eliot remembers his injuries.  He’s really not sure how he forgot about them. 

They end up in the shower.  He’s not aware of what the two omegas are doing to him until he feels the excruciating pain of his shoulder being popped back into place.  He feels his knees start to go out from under him, but they catch him and sit him down on the shower bench.  He cries out when Parker uncovers the bullet wound.  “No baths.”  He slurs.  Baths are bad for bullet wounds.  He knows that. 

“You’ve been shot enough times that we know baths aren’t good for bullet wounds.” Says Hardison.  It’s a joke, Eliot thinks, Hardison’s way of trying to lighten the situation.  He tries to smile.  He’s not sure if he succeeds.

Eliot likes it when his mates press up against him.  He’s desperate to make sure they’re okay.  It’s supposed to be his job to protect them and take care of them, not the other way around.  But he’s helpless right now, and it’s not a feeling he’s used to.  Or likes.  He does everything he can to keep from crying out as Parker sets about stitching him up.  He doesn’t want them to be hurt anymore by him.  He refuses painkillers, but takes the bottle of whiskey Hardison offers him and drinks nearly the whole bottle.  It doesn’t do enough to dull the pain. 

            He’s not aware that he’s trying so hard not to make noise until Parker pauses in the middle of stitching up a cut across his chest and says, “It’s okay.  You’re safe.  You don’t have to hide anything with us.”  Hardison presses a kiss against the top of Eliot’s head, just like Eliot always does when one of the omegas is hurt, and he’s thrown back to being a little kid and his mom kissing the top of his head whenever he was hurt or sad or sick.  He feels comforted by Hardison’s gesture.  It reminds him that they take care of each other. 

            “Love you guys.”  Eliot tells them, hoping they know how much he means it, that he isn’t just saying it.  “Thanks for taking care of me.”

            “That’s what we’re here for.”  Parker tells him as she finishes the last of the stitches.  “We’re bonded.  We’ve all got each other’s backs.”

            It’s a nice thought.  He’s still getting used to that idea, and it’s even harder to think that way when his brain has practically shut down, but it’s nice.  “I like that.”  He tells Parker before a yawn drowns out anything he might have said next.  “Bed?”

            Hardison has been working on his hair, cleaning the blood off his face and getting the worst of the tangles out.  “Almost.”  He says, and Eliot’s content to close his eyes and wait.  Hardison’s touch is gentle and soothing, and he feels Parker leaning against his legs. 

            “Love you.”  Eliot says.  This time it’s urgent.  He feels like he absolutely has to tell them how much they mean to him, only he’s so tired and sore and fuzzy-brained that he doesn’t know any other words to say. 

            “Love you too.”  Eliot relaxes when he hears his mates respond.  They help him into his bed.  For several minutes it’s just him gritting his teeth against the pain of moving, and Hardison helping him get into bed, and Parker tucking the sheets around him carefully.  Eliot feels panicked that they’re going to leave him all alone in his room, and he doesn’t want that right now.  He’s suddenly terrified of them leaving his sight, even if there’s nothing he could do right then even if something bad were to happen.  He begs them not to leave. 

            His mates don’t leave.  Instead, Hardison carefully lays against his good side.  It feels so good to have him there, to feel his body heat and hear him breathing.  There’s no injury-free place for Parker to curl up against him.  Eliot doesn’t like that.  But she sits as close as she can and holds his hand, and it’s not the best but at least he can feel her too.  A tiny part of his brain says that she’s taking over his role as protector while he can’t.  The alpha in him doesn’t like that, but Eliot’s grateful that she knows him well enough to know that he needs to feel both comforted and safe.  Hardison’s got the comforting down, so Parker takes up the job of protector.  Eliot falls asleep in Hardison’s arms, underneath Parker’s watchful eye. 

 

 

 

            Eliot wakes with a start.  His heart is pounding.  He can’t even remember what the nightmare had been about, not really, only that his mates hadn’t been safe.  He needs his omegas.  He has to keep them safe.  He doesn’t know what he’d do without them.  He tries to push himself out of bed to go find them only to collapse back with a groan.  His body feels like it’s on fire.  Slowly he comes to his senses a little more.  He remembers what happened the night before, remembers his mates taking care of him, remembers falling asleep with them. 

            “Easy there, big guy.”  Hardison says as Eliot tries to at least sit up.  His mind goes straight to red alert.  Even if it’s only his mate, Eliot still hadn’t sensed anyone else in the room.  From how he’s lying, he can barely see the door.  He doesn’t like it.

            “Have to sit up.”  Eliot manages to say.  His throat is dry and scratchy, and he wonders if he’s been yelling in his sleep.  It wouldn’t be the first time. 

            “You could ask for help.”  Hardison says with a bit of a sigh.  Eliot doesn’t really understand the sigh, but then again he’s tired and grumpy and sore and isn’t exactly in the best shape to be reading into the omega’s underlying message.  But Hardison comes over and helps him sit up, propping some pillows up behind him so he can be comfortable and see the door.  Once that issue is solved, though, the next one arises. 

            “Parker?”  Eliot asks.  He was sure both his mates were in the bed with him when he fell asleep. 

            “She’ll be back in a minute.  She’s talking to Nate.”  Hardison doesn’t offer more details, but Eliot’s sure, despite his fuzzy head, that there’s more to the story.  He considers pushing it, but then an attempt to stretch a little pulls on the stitches in his chest and he looks down.  His torso is littered in cuts and slashes.  Most of them he knows will heal right up, but the deeper ones – the ones Parker had to sew up – are definitely going to leave some nasty scars.  His attention shifts to the bullet wound.  It’s covered, and Eliot trusts Parker to patch him up, but he can’t actually remember watching her dressing it.  He tries peeling away the bandages only to have Hardison grab his hand and stop him.

            “Leave it alone.”  Hardison tells him sternly.  Eliot’s a little taken aback how sharp he sounds, and the alpha instinct in him doesn’t like it at all.  Not only has everything been turned on its head, what with his mates protecting him instead of the other way around, but his alpha side is insisting that his omega is out of line.  It’s _his_ body, not Hardison’s.  But luckily the manners his mama taught him resurface before he says anything, and he drops his hand. 

            “I don’t like this.”  Eliot says instead.  “It isn’t right.  My head’s all messed up.”

            Hardison sits down on the edge of the bed.  “Look, man, you’re pretty beaten up.  I’m sure your instincts are messing with you.  Mine are, and I’m not even hurt.”

            “It’s just…” Eliot has to think for a minute before he finds the words.  “I always used to have to patch myself up, you know?”

            “I know.”  Hardison says, a lot less stern-sounding than before.  “But part of the reason we bonded is so we don’t have to do everything ourselves.  Being mates means taking care of each other.”

            Eliot considers this.  His brain feels like it’s stuffed with cotton, so he’s not exactly speedy in his reply.  “That’s…that sounds nice.”  He admits.  “Just takes some getting used to.”

            Hardison snorts.  “It does for all of us.”

            Parker opens the door then.  She hands Eliot two aspirin and an ice pack, and arranges the other ice pack she’s holding on his shoulder.  It’s the closest Eliot’s ever seen to Parker doing anything remotely…motherly, and even if she’s brisk and methodical as she makes sure none of his wounds have opened during the night, it’s comforting.  Having both of his mates back in the room doesn’t hurt either. 

            “Thanks.”  Eliot tells his mates.  He holds out his hand, and Parker takes it, lets him pull her onto the bed next to him.  Hardison joins them, tucking around Parker and hugging her around the waist.  “You protected me.”

            “Duh.”  Parker says, like it’s nothing, and maybe it’s not.  Eliot’s been with Parker and Hardison for a while now, with the team for even longer, but he’s got years of experiences of being alone that he still sometimes has to push back from the surface. 

            “Love you.”  Hardison says, brushing a kiss across Eliot’s forehead before doing the same to Parker.  Parker snuggles in closer to the two of them, clearly making up for the fact she couldn’t last night, and something in Eliot’s brain just seems to fall into place. 

            “My mates.”  Eliot says sleepily, smiling contentedly as he focuses on the heartbeats of his mates.  He closes his eyes.  Parker shifts next to him, her tiny hands holding on to one of his.  He feels Hardison brush hair away from his face, a soft, gentle touch.  Eliot falls back asleep knowing he’s the luckiest alpha in the entire world to have two such perfect mates. 

**Author's Note:**

> As always, comments are appreciated! I take requests too!


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